Name: Tondli Fry (Kovakkai Poriyal)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Ivy Gourd, Tondli/Kundru, ends trimmed and sliced into vertical discs; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 pinch Asafoetida; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 tsp Goda Masala, or garam masala; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; 2 tbsp Peanuts, roasted and coarsely crushed; 1 tbsp Desiccated Coconut, optional; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

25 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat the cooking oil in a broad pan over a medium flame. Drop the mustard seeds directly into the hot fat and wait for them to pop.
Follow immediately with the cumin seeds and the pinch of hing (asafoetida). Sauté briefly for just a few seconds.
Add the sliced tondli and the turmeric to the pan and toss well so every slice is coated in the spiced oil.
Seal the pan with a heavy lid and drop the heat to low. Force the gourds to steam-roast in their own residual moisture for 8-10 minutes. Strictly avoid adding external water. Expose and stir the pan every 2-3 minutes to prevent the bottoms from catching and burning.
8–10 min2–3 min
Once the tondli softens and visually shrinks, season heavily with the red chilli powder, goda masala, and salt. Toss thoroughly to combine.
Leave the lid off entirely and roast the open pan for 2 minutes to cook the spices through.
2 min
Broadcast the coarsely crushed roasted groundnut powder and the desiccated coconut over the vegetables. Fold the sabzi gently to incorporate.
Roast for a final 1-2 minutes. The peanut powder takes up the last of the moisture and leaves the tondli in a dry, crisp coating.
1–2 min
Garnish immediately with fresh coriander and serve piping hot.

How to tell it's done

A savoury, properly dry preparation. The gourds should be tender under slightly wrinkled skins, coated in a coarse, nutty groundnut and spice crust.

Getting it right

Tip

The coarse roasted groundnut powder works like a sponge: it soaks up the last of the moisture and adds a nutty crunch. It is the mark of a Maharashtrian dry sabzi.

What to serve it with

An absolute titan of the Indian lunchbox circuit. Functions perfectly alongside hot Chapatis and a comforting bowl of Varan Bhaat (Dal Rice).

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